New Liver, a Renewed Life
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LAURA BANKS Kim Freeman is looking forward to returning to Port Fairy with his wife Karin after his life-transforming liver transplant at Melbourne's Austin Hospital. MORE than 20 years ago an infected blood transfusion gave Port Fairy hemophiliac Kim Freeman the debilitating hepatitis C virus. In a miracle 12-hour operation last month, Mr Freeman received a liver transplant that not only saved his life, but cured his hemophilia as well. “It's a double bonus,'' said the 48-year-old. “It means everything to me - it means my life.'' Hemophilia effects predominantly males. It is a hereditary, life-long condition where one of the essential clotting elements in the blood is deficient. Mr Freeman required frequent blood transfusions to treat the condition. During the past two decades the hepatitis C resulted in permanent scarring of Mr Freeman's liver (cirrhosis) and could only be treated by a liver transplant. “I (was) in Melbourne for a check-up. One thing led to another and I had to stay a couple of days. “The hospital phone call arrived saying ‘We might have a liver for you'. “They were asking how long would it take for me to get here - thinking we would be three hours away or more - and we said 10 minutes. “So 20 minutes later I was in having X-rays and making sure everything was fine for the transplant.'' Mr Freeman was on a liver transplant waiting list for 13 months before he received the call. “It had its ups and downs,'' he said. "When I was off (the list) I was very apprehensive - not knowing if the phone call would come and I'd be unable to take it 'cause I had a fever or was unwell. “I am thankful that didn't happen and that it all turned out for the best.'' Mr Freeman said he did not know who the donor family was, but was blessed the family had agreed to the donation at what must have been a difficult time. “I have been thinking of them greatly the past week or so,'' the appreciative recipient said. “It's hard enough to lose someone but to see fit to agree to the donation at a time like that - it's humbling. "It's given me and my family a second chance.'' Mr Freeman said he hoped to be discharged in a few weeks and had set himself the big challenge of returning to Port Fairy and his work at Warrnambool's Aspire support centre for people with mental illness. “I'm looking forward to getting home,'' he said. “I can't wait to get back to work and back to my old self.'' Mr Freeman said he had set some goals and was hoping to be back at work in a couple of months. “It's a surreal feeling,'' he said. “I'm a lot stronger this week and I'm feeling a lot better in myself. “I'm just looking forward to getting back into the swing of things.'' Hepatitis C affects approximately 63,000 Victorians with 16,000 new infections every year. National Hepatitis C Awareness Week runs from October 1 to 6.
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发表于 2006-9-10 21:36
